UN expert on privacy seriously concerned by Ecuador's behaviour in Assange and Moreno cases

[Judi Lynn]

Source: High Commissioner United Nations Human Rights

Spanish

GENEVA (23 May 2019) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Privacy, Joseph Cannataci, is very seriously concerned by reports that the Government of Ecuador is planning to hand over personal belongings of Julian Assange to the United States.

The independent expert said he had received information that, at the request of the United States Department of Justice, the Ecuadorian Government had decided to search on 20 May its London embassy premises used by the WikiLeaks founder and seize his documents, telephones, electronic devices, memory drives, etc., to hand them over to the US Government.

Concerned by the reports, Cannataci wrote to the Government of Ecuador recommending safeguards that should be in place before any search. He also offered to provide the assistance of impartial experts to monitor the search, and separate information that could be relevant for an eventual criminal process in the United States from information that should be kept private and handed back to Assange. The Special Rapporteur said he was disappointed by the lack of timely response from the Government of Ecuador.

"I have twice formally requested the Government of Ecuador to return Mr. Assange's personal effects to his lawyers, but instead it seems that it intends to hand them over to the US authorities. While I have no problem with search and seizure procedures which are properly carried out under the rule of law, these are very special circumstances on at least two counts: there is more than the right to privacy at stake. Other human rights and especially the freedom of expression are also at risk if some of Mr. Assange's material were to fall into the wrong hands. Mr. Assange dealt with a number of confidential sources and whistleblowers whose identity and privacy should likewise be protected,” said the Special Rapporteur.

Read more: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24646&LangID=E

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Technically, he abandoned the stuff when he was kicked out of the embassy and then grabbed by...

the British authorities. His stuff should have been boxed up, he given time to relocate the materials (within a certain number of days), and if not claimed, disposed of at the embassy's choice.

However, if his materials included stolen materials, then I don't think personal choice enters into, does it?